


You're an Ocean

by anaphiel



Series: Kaka-Gai/Iru Experiment [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Because he doesn't like confronting emotion or showing vulnerability, Canon-Typical Violence, Kakashi just wants one date with Gai - as Sukea, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, PTSD Kakashi, Pining, Sukea Fic, Undercover Missions, hidden identities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-11 05:12:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15308229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anaphiel/pseuds/anaphiel
Summary: "This isn't an official mission," Tsunade says. "I'm not hiring a shinobi, I'm hiring a P.I."Kakashi brings his Sukea disguise back upon special request from Tsunade when a suspicious businessman works his way too quickly into Konoha's inner circles for comfort. When not busy with the mission, Kakashi takes advantage of his disguise to satisfy long-held curiosities: he tries to get a date with Might Gai.Of course, things don't go as planned and Might Gai is cleverer than anyone gives him credit for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a very different kind of fic. Not because of the fic itself, but because of it's companion piece, "[I was an Island](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15333009/chapters/35575773)." While Kakagai is my heart, I'm a fan of Kakairu as well, and when I had the idea for this plot, I couldn't decide which ship it would work better for. So then I thought....why not both.
> 
> "You're an Ocean" and "I was an Island" are sort of experimental, then, in that the former is Kakagai, the latter is Kakairu, but they both have the same underlying plot. I thought it would be fun to see how the story changes depending on which ship takes the lead. I anticipate them being similar at first, then diverging more and more as the story goes on. So we'll see where this goes!

Kakashi slinks through Konohagakure's gates, barely remembering to toss a half-hearted wave at the chuunin on duty. His feet feel too heavy, strained under the weight bearing down on his shoulders, and turning toward the Hokage's tower instead of home is hard. Everything about this mission has been hard. Hard in the usual ways, of course—he's sore, bruised, low on chakra. His muscles scream in protest and a steady throbbing has taken residence behind the sharingan.

It was hard in other ways, too, ways that make Kakashi's heart ache, make him wish he could just be numb. These other ways are reserved for the worst sort of missions, the ones where Kakashi returns with blood staining his hands and guilt his soul. The ones where he can't close his eyes without seeing echoes of the things he's done while he was away. He's been out of ANBU for such a short time, but it's already made it so much harder to deal with these kinds of missions, harder to come back from them, because now he knows how things can be better.

Kakashi ignores the building's front door, as always, and clambers up the side of the building instead. From there, it's just a leap to the Hokage's window, and he slips inside without even his customary greeting.

"How many times do I have to tell you to use the door, brat?" Tsunade asks, looking up at Kakashi from between tall piles of paperwork. A muscle jumps in her temple and an empty bottle sits beside her, which Kakashi would normally take as a sign to back off. He's too tired to care, today.

When he doesn't offer up any excuses or apologies, Tsunade's brow furrows. She takes him in, eyes widening at the blood on his uniform, but she doesn't comment on it, instead asking, "How was the mission?"

"Successful," Kakashi says, slipping more fully into the room.

"Well, good," the Godaime says, impatience warring with concern for a place in her expression. "Go get cleaned up. Give me a full report tomorrow; I've got too much going on tonight."

Kakashi nods and turns to leave, but the sound of the door clicking open stops him. In an instant, just that small sound snaps him from home and safe into danger, and his body reacts before his mind can catch up. Not even a second later, and he's facing the door with a kunai in hand, the only think stopping him from throwing it Shizune's shocked expression. She stands in the doorway, one arm loaded with paperwork, her free hand gripping tight to the door's handle. Her wide eyes flick from Kakashi's face to the blade in his hand.

There's a beat, a moment of tension, when everyone just stares at Kakashi, shocked, and Kakashi stares back, then Tsunade slams her hands down on her desk, and the sudden volume of her voice makes Kakashi flinch. "Kakashi!"

He puts the kunai away, back to its hiding place, and holds his hands up in apology. "Sorry, sorry."

It's not the first time a mission-weary jounin has almost lost control in the Hokage's tower, but none of them could remember the last time it had been Kakashi Hatake. Tsunade stands, and the ANBU guarding her flit uneasily in the shadows, ready to step in should the copy nin forget himself again.

Shizune relaxes, but Tsunade doesn't, and neither do the ANBU. Kakashi can no longer see them, but he can feel the tension radiating off them in waves.

"I'm fine," he promises, though he's not sure he is.

"How was the mission, really?" Tsunade asks.

"Complicated," Kakashi says. "Things went wrong, problems had to be fixed."

Tsunade approaches Kakashi slowly. Concern has won out; it's written all over her face as she looks Kakashi up and down. Shizune closes the door behind her; Kakashi tries not to jump at the click of the door closing, but Tsunade doesn't miss the movement. "You need sleep. And probably some time off."

"Really, I'm fine. I just need a minute," Kakashi lies, knowing he needs more than a minute. Lately, it's been getting harder and harder to switch between the home and mission mindsets. Probably because he doesn't have anything to ground him anymore; he'd found a home, and it had fallen apart. Loneliness is destabilizing.

Tsunade nods, but Kakashi's not sure she believes him, especially when she says, "I hope so, because I'm not putting you on any new missions until you've calmed down."

"Maa, Tsunade, don't you think--,"

"I think you should do as I say, brat, so try this: go home. Get some sleep, enjoy having some time off. Pick up a hobby. Go on a date. You've been taking too many missions, lately; work on your life here for a bit."

"I have a hobby," Kakashi protests, wounded.

"Jiraiya-sama's books do not count," Shizune says.

Beneath the mask, Kakashi pouts. Tsunade, omniscient as Kakashi sometimes suspects she is, can tell; she rolls her eyes and shoos Kakashi toward the door. "Get out. Walk-- no rooftops. You seem like you can barely stand upright."

Shizune gives Kakashi a sympathetic smile as he's ushered past, which is more than Kakashi feels he deserves.

"Tsunade, I--,"

"Go. You're lucky I'm even letting you leave; I should commit you to the hospital and make sure you rest."

Kakashi doesn't push his luck after that. He leaves. Instead of going home to rest, though, he visits Obito. He can't not, after returning from a mission like that one. As he stands in front of the monument, waiting for the usual numb sort of catharsis to wash over him, it doesn't come. The night's chill, the fireflies dancing in the damp grass, those bring their own kind of peace, but his thoughts are still too guilty, too loud. Maybe Tsunade's right; he does need a break.

When dusk falls truly to night, Kakashi leaves for home.

 

On the walk back to his apartment, Kakashi hears someone calling for him. He recognizes the voice immediately, and walks a little faster, but not fast enough.

"Kakashi!" Gai pants, grabbing Kakashi's arm when he finally catches up. Kakashi flinches away, just a little, not nearly as much as he would have if it had been anyone else.

"Oh, sorry, Gai. I thought that was someone else calling for their eternal rival," Kakashi says, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Understandable, rival," Gai says, though his smile wavers a little. He claps a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and walks with him. "I'm glad you're back! How was your mission?"

Kakashi shrugs. "It was a mission."

Gai gives Kakashi a sidelong look, recognizing the tone, the flinching away, the general avoidance for what it is. He's seen Kakashi after enough bad missions to know the symptoms by now. "Well! Now that you're back, what say you to a fierce competition between hot-blooded rivals?"

Kakashi considers it, for a moment. A distraction could be good for him, but he's not sure his body could take it. "Not tonight, Gai."

Gai's expression doesn't change much, just a small furrow appearing between his brows, but Kakashi can sense his worry. Gai lets it drop, though, and his smile returns in full force. "Very well!" he says, loud enough to remind Kakashi of his headache. "Go rest, rival, but I'll be back tomorrow morning for our challenge, and I won't take no for an answer!"

With a gentle squeeze to Kakashi's shoulder and a thumbs up, Might Gai leaves Kakashi alone. Kakashi hurries home, before he runs into anyone else who might want to chat, and collapses promptly into bed, where he's soon overtaken by nightmare-tinged sleep.

 

.

 

It's unfair, how early the following morning Gai begins pounding on Kakashi's door. Kakashi groans and buries his head beneath his pillow, sure that there's not another soul in Konoha awake at this hour. He wishes, desperately, that he could fall back asleep, but Gai's knocking grows more insistent by the second, and Kakashi knows from experience that he'll stand out there for hours if he has to.

So, reluctantly, Kakashi drags himself out of bed, muscles impossibly more sore than they were the day before, and pauses only to grab and put on his mask before shuffling to the front door. He answers it with a glare.

"Good morning, Kakashi!" Gai chirps, either genuinely not noticing Kakashi's glare or choosing to ignore it. He holds up a crumpled paper bag and a cardboard cup. "I brought you breakfast, so that you'll have sufficient energy for our challenge."

"Can't you come back at noon?" Kakashi grumbles. He snatches the bag from Gai's hand and stands aside to let him in anyway.

"Oh, but Kakashi, there's so much beauty to be found in mornings! So much potential! You can just feel the youthful energy in the air, smell the fresh air, taste the--,"

"Gai," Kakashi interrupts, "At least wait until I've had breakfast for the speeches."

"You know I can make no such promises, rival. When you're overtaken by an ardor for life, you can't just keep it to yourself! Like I sometimes say to Lee, when you--,"

Kakashi sighs and pads away, off to his bedroom to get dressed. When he returns, Gai is exactly where Kakashi left him, looking around Kakashi's apartment with polite interest. Kakashi, who feels like death personified, can never understand how Gai manages to look so collected in the mornings-- not just in the mornings, even. Always. His jumpsuit, his hair, his dorky grin-- ridiculous as they all are, they're always flawless.

Gai grins at Kakashi when he returns, practically dancing with excitement. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess," Kakashi sighs. "I'll eat on the way."

"A most efficient plan," Gai agrees, and he leads the way.

They're mostly silent on the walk to-- Kakashi quickly realizes-- the training grounds. Kakashi is grateful for it. Most people don't believe Might Guy even knows the meaning of the word silence, but he does. He only utilizes it when it's needed-- now, for example, when Kakashi is still on edge from his mission, when anything loud and sudden has him tensing up, when all Kakashi needs is Gai's steady presence beside him, soothing and calming.

He feels calmer by the time they reach their destination, like he can appreciate being home just a little more, especially when Gai is beside him. Why that may be is something he avoids thinking about, when he can, even when the answer is obvious.

"Alright, Gai," Kakashi says. He keeps his hands in his pockets, posture slouched, and tries to sound as unaffected as possible. "So what's this challenge?"

"Ah," Gai said, casting his eyes around the training field. "A race to that dummy," he says, pointing to a neglected training dummy on the far end of the field, set apart from the others, "Walking on our hands."

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. It seems simple enough, but it's not like Gai not to have the challenge prepared ahead of time. "Alright," he says. "Let's get this over with."

In the end, Kakashi doesn't make it more than two-thirds of the way before his muscles give out. He's still sore and chakra depleted from the mission, and exhausted after a night spent tossing and turning, and at some point his muscles decide they just aren't up for the challenge. Gai reaches the training dummy, notices Kakashi sprawled out in the grass, and doubles back still walking on his hands to check on him.

"Kakashi?" he asks.

Kakashi throws an arm over his eyes. "I give; you win."

Gai drops his feet to the ground, then shifts so he's sitting beside Kakashi in the grass. "It's unlike you to let me win so easily, rival!" He says in his usual loud tone. He continues, a little more gently, "Is everything alright?"

"Just tired," Kakashi says. The response is loaded, though, and he knows Gai hears it and understands. He moves his arm and looks up at Gai, whose hair is haloed by a ring of sunlight. Kakashi has to squint up at him. "Were handstands really your challenge?"

"No," Gai says. He's absently running his hands through the grass like a child after being told several times to sit still, and Kakashi tries not to find it endearing. "I was thinking we'd spar, but I wasn't sure if you were up to it."

"I'd have agreed," Kakashi says, but he's sure that wouldn't have gone well. Not in his current state. Certainly worse than the thing with Shizune yesterday.

"I know you would have," Gai says, offering Kakashi a soft smile, "Which is why I changed the challenge."

Kakashi snorts. Gai shifts, and then lies down beside Kakashi, propping an arm up behind his head. He's on Kakashi's blind side, so Kakashi has to turn his head to look at him. "I thought lying still went against your nature," Kakashi says.

"Nonsense!" Gai says loudly. With his free arm, he gestures at the clear blue sky. "I can lie still when it means appreciating a beautiful day, especially when I have such pleasant company."

Kakashi would never describe his own company as pleasant, but he doesn't comment, just turns his head to look back at the sky. "Mm," he says. "How's your team?"

As expected, the question is all it takes to get Gai talking about something other than Kakashi. He launches into a story about Lee and Neji, which flows into another about Lee, Neji, and Tenten, which then flows into yet another story. Hearing about how well Gai's team is doing, how well they all get along, makes Kakashi sad, but not in the way it usually does-- he realizes, distantly, that he's found the catharsis he was looking for last night, at the memorial stone. He's found it here, with Gai, only it's better, and Kakashi is almost something like happy again.

Gai really can only lie still for so long, though, and eventually he runs off to find Lee, to get some proper training in before he wasted the entire morning away. Kakashi stays right where he is, laying in the grass in the middle of the empty training field, and thinks about how much he could get used to coming down from missions like this, in the form of lazy mornings with Gai.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter: Sukea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long this took! I also have a writing deadline for a novella on the 13th, so expect the next update to take 1-2 weeks as well. The two stories are still mostly overlapping, so you won't find much of a difference between Kakagai/Kakairu yet, but the stories really start diverging in the next chapter!
> 
> Also! If you want to yell at me to write in real time, you should follow me on twitter (@anaphiel_). I am literally always happy to talk about Naruto (and Kakagai in particular)

In the following days, Kakashi fends off boredom and fits of introspection and lasts almost an entire week before breaking down and asking Tsunade for another mission. The first day of his little involuntary vacation had been almost nice; he'd spent some of the time on errands and the rest lounging and rereading his favorite Icha Icha book. The second day, he'd visited Sakura at the hospital, not that she'd had much free time to spare for him, and competed in another challenge with Gai. By day three, however, the restlessness began to take hold.

By day four, he'd actually begun considering Tsunade's suggestions. He'd pick up a hobby, maybe. Gardening seemed calming. Or maybe he'd do that other thing. Maybe he'd go on a date. It was either that or read Icha Icha for the thousandth time, but why read it when you can live it? Kakashi knows he could get a date easily enough, even though it's been—well. Kakashi's not sure he's  _ever_  been on a proper date, really, but that was a personal choice.

The problem with entertaining those kinds of thoughts presents itself quickly, though, when it leads to the realization that when Kakashi imagines himself on a date, there's only ever one face that appears in his daydreams, only one person his subconscious feels comfortable imagining himself with. Kakashi always cuts the daydreams off when they get to this point, makes himself think about gardening instead, because indulging them would be too dangerous, too tempting. He can't date that person. It's too messy, too complicated; their threads are far too tangled, so if Kakashi messes up…he won't think about what that would mean. All he knows is he couldn't afford messing up, and knowing him, that's exactly what would happen. Friendships are hard, relationships are worse and giving Might Gai more of Kakashi's heart than he already has might destroy Kakashi, in the end.

The daydreams get harder and harder to stop. They become more vivid, they follow Kakashi into his dreams, then through every waking moment. Thoughts of picking up gardening turn into thoughts of gardening with Gai. Any other hobby Kakashi considers taking up is just the same. Reading Icha Icha becomes completely out of the question-- rather than just  _read,_  his mind won't stop  _imagining_ as well, and it's not hard to guess what those imaginings entail.

And so, to save himself from the torture of his own invasive thoughts, Kakashi pops into Tsunade's office on the morning of the sixth day with a halfhearted wave and a greeting of "Yo." Tsunade looks up at Kakashi, raises an eyebrow, then looks over at Shizune and asks, "What day is it?" 

"Tuesday," Shizune answers.

"Hm. You lasted longer than I expected, brat."

"Does that mean you'll give me a mission?" Kakashi asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets and approaching Tsunade's desk. There's significantly less paperwork piled up on it than his last visit, and Kakashi hopes Tsunade's mood is brighter to match.

"I do have something special for you, actually," Tsunade says, the glint in her eye halting Kakashi's approach, sending those hopes sinking.

"Oh?" Kakashi glances at Shizune, sees his same worry reflected on her expression.

"Have you heard of Kato Toyokuni?" Tsunade asks.

"No."

"He's a businessman," Tsunade explains. "He settled in Konoha a few months ago, and since he's been here, he's made lots of friends in high places. I don't like him. I don't  _trust_  him. He established himself too quickly, wormed his way too tightly into Konoha's inner circles, and has access to too much sensitive information for me to be comfortable just leaving him be. I need someone to watch him, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. So?"

Kakashi blinked at her, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he asked, "Why are you giving this mission to  _me_? You have people who specialize in this kind of thing. Ask ANBU, or T &I, or Inoishi--,"

"This isn't an official mission," Tsunade says. "I'm not hiring a shinobi, I'm hiring a P.I. Like I said, Kato has friends in high places…places I don't want to piss off, if I can help it. I want proof that he's up to something before I do anything official, so I'm asking you to do this as a favor to me."

"I'd love to, I really would, but I'm not a P.I.," Kakashi says, rocking back on his heels.

"I know you're not, but Sukea could be."

Kakashi stops his rocking. He hasn't thought about the Sukea thing in ages. "How do you--,"

"I was reading some of the Sandaime's old journals, ran across the name," Tsunade says, smirking now. "He wrote about the whole incident. Thought it was the funniest thing."

Kakashi scratches his eyebrow, not meeting Tsunade's eyes. Or Shizune's, for that matter-- she's looking between the two of them, confused. "Maa, the Sukea thing, that was--,"

"To help your team, I know. But the disguise has already been established, and it's perfect for this job. I don't want any investigation able to be linked back to me."

"You say that like I'd get caught."

"I know you wouldn't. But still."

Kakashi huffs a breath. The mission itself sounds boring, below his paygrade, and completely unlike the missions he's been taking since his team broke up. "Alright, I'll do it. Only because you asked so nicely."

When Kakashi's gone, Shizune turns to Tsunade. "I still think you could've found someone better suited to this mission."

"Of course I could have," Tsunade says, thinking about the look in Kakashi's eyes the other night. She'd seen shinobi close to cracking enough times to be able to see it coming, and Kakashi had been getting closer and closer to that ledge since Team 7 had disbanded. She won't lose him just because he doesn't have anyone else close enough to him to recognize the signs. "Hatake needs a bit of rest, and this should be fun for him."

.

Donning the Sukea disguise again is strange. Kakashi hadn't thought he'd ever need it again, especially considering its initial purpose: keeping Team 7 cohesive. It takes him some time to throw it all together, but by that same afternoon he's ready and transformed. The sooner he gets this mission done, finds some proof of wrongdoing or lack thereof, the sooner he can go back to throwing himself into real missions.

He stands in front of his bathroom mirror, not as Kakashi, but as Sukea. He stares at where the Sharingan should be spinning lazily, at where his scar sits, mostly hidden by makeup, and tries to get used to the new look. Those are the hardest parts to get used to, though the rest is strange, too-- the lack of fabric covering his face, the brown curls flopping down into his eyes, the civilian clothing, loose and light. Eventually, he straightens his shoulders and pushes out of his apartment, off to get his first look at his target. 

.

As it turns out, Kakashi's target is boring. It's easy enough to find Kato's home; everyone seems to know all about him, so all it takes is a few casual questions. Kakashi perches on a rooftop across the street and waits for Kato to come home.

Recognizing him is easy, too, given the descriptions Kakashi got. He looks just like Kakashi expected him to look, bland and pristine, handsome and forgettable. Kato slips inside, oblivious to Kakashi's presence. Once he's home, he stays home, and he doesn't leave again until the following morning. Kakashi keeps his watch all night, reading the nearby chakra signatures, careful to hide his own. No one comes by, no one goes.

Kakashi follows Kato to work the next day, trying to get a feel for the man's routine. He sticks to rooftops and yawns all the way, and, when Kato enters a big, bland building at the edge of the warehouse district, Kakashi settles into a nearby tree to wait.

Kato doesn't move all morning, his chakra signature flaring bright, fixed firmly in an upper corning of the building that must be his office. Kakashi makes a mental note to snoop around some evening, when Kato's not around. It's the most interesting thought Kakashi has all day. Unfortunately for him, he forgot to transfer his book from the pocket of his flak jacket to Sukea's coat, and eventually the lack of stimulation lulls him to sleep.

He wakes sometime in the evening, a dusky pink settled across the rooftops and the leaves of the trees he lodges in. For a moment, he's disoriented, not sure where he is, what he's wearing, why his eye is uncovered. It comes back to him, along with the realization that Kato's no longer in his office. The panic that accompanied this realization settles when Kakashi finds Kato  back at his home, already settled in for the evening. Assuming that's where he'll be for the rest of the night, Kakashi slinks off to get some sleep.

On the walk through the village, Kakashi gets  _looks_. He ducks into an alley, checks his reflection in a window pane, worried that his disguise must be slipping. It's not. Makeup's still in place, wig's still firmly atop his head. A creeping concern settling in his gut, he slips back out into the street. The looks continue.

It takes a minute for Kakashi to realize what it is. It's his  _face._  It's  _Sukea._  It's mystery and allure and a pretty face. These people aren't looking at him because he's Kakashi Hatake, copy-cat nin, master of a thousand jutsus in disguise, but because he's no one, another face in the crowd. He stands a little more confidently, letting himself embrace Sukea.

The paranoia doesn't go away entirely, though, and Kakashi tells himself he'll feel better about his disguise if he tests it out. He seeks out someone who might be able to see through it. 

Gai did almost recognize him last time, after all. Kakashi's curious to see if he'll manage it this time.

 

Finding Might Gai is, Kakashi has found in the past, an easy task, as the man leaves an impression almost everywhere he goes. He picks up the trail and follows it to a sprawling park. From there, all it takes is asking a young couple on a park bench if they've seen a ridiculous man in a jumpsuit for them to point out the moving green blur in a nearby tree.

 

Kakashi approaches the tree slowly, reaching up to trail his fingers along the rough bark of one of its sturdy, low-hanging branches. Gai hangs from one of those branches by his knees, doing situps. Kakashi stops and just watches him for a moment, marveling over the way he moves. He's never understood how someone like Gai could manage to be graceful on top of everything, but he does, and he does it well.

Gai counts to himself as he goes, and Kakashi hears ninety, ninety-one, ninety-two. Despite the high number, his movements are steady, powerful, even. He doesn't show any signs of stopping soon, and Kakashi debates watching him a little longer. Shaking his head to clear away the thought, he approaches and asks, "Did you lose a bet or something?"

Gai pauses mid-sit up to look down at Kakashi—Sukea—upside down, and Kakashi tries not to notice the way Gai's core quivers with the strain. Then, Gai huffs a laugh, and he continues. "Training for one, actually," he says.

Kakashi makes a mental note to do some core work of his own, to prepare for whatever Gai must have planned for them. "Must be some bet."

"One hundred," Gai says. He sits up, grabs the branch, and then drops down from the tree in one fluid movement, landing on his feet like a cat. The sudden change from upside-down to rightside-up catches him, though, and he staggers a little bit. Kakashi finds himself reaching out to put a hand on Gai's arm to steady him, and Gai's gaze zeroes in on Kakashi. "Well, hello."

"Hello," Kakashi says with a small smile.

Gai's expression twists into a thoughtful frown, and he looks Kakashi up and down. "I remember you."

"Do you?"

"Of course! My mind is a steel trap. You look just as familiar as you did last time we met."

"If your mind was a steel trap," Kakashi begins, tilting his head to one side, "Then you should be able to figure out why I look so familiar."

Gai's eyebrows disappear up, beneath his bowl cut, and he throws his head back and laughs. "A fair point! I'm sure it will come to me, ah..."

"Sukea," Kakashi supplies.

"Sukea," Gai repeats, looking at Kakashi more closely.

"And I know who you are. You're the Blue Beast of Konoha, Might Gai," Kakashi all but purrs. He lets Gai look; this is, after all, supposed to be a test to see if Gai can recognize him. "That was impressive, what you were just doing."

"Oh, that? That was nothing! I have to be at the top of my game if I'm to stand any chance at beating my rival in our weekly challenges."

"I'm sure he has nothing on you," Kakashi says. He can't seem to stop the flirting. He blames it on all the thoughts he's been having this week—the dreams of dates with Might Gai. There's no harm in it, though, at least not while Kakashi is Sukea.

"Er, well, no, he's--,"

"Are you blushing?" Kakashi asks, moving closer. "Or is it just from the hanging upside down?"

"Probably a fair mix of both," Gai says, face a bright red. Kakashi thinks he'd definitely be able to get used to this.

Kakashi smiles at Gai, a full, warm smile that reaches all the way to his eyes. Gai's expression turns thoughtful again, eyes on Kakashi's lips. If he recognizes Kakashi, he doesn't say so, just slowly starts backing away. "It was very good to meet you, Sukea, but I must be going."

"Okay," Kakashi says, watching Gai all but flee with surprise. "I suppose I'll see you around."

"I certainly hope so!" Gai says, some of his confidence returning to him as he makes a fist and punches the air. Kakashi feels something horribly fond setlle in his chest. "It will give me more chances to figure out where we have met before!"

And with that, Gai's gone, leaving Kakashi with the absolute certainty that he won't be satisfied until he goes on at least one date with Might Guy. Fortunately for him, Sukea presents an obvious solution. Sukea doesn't have ties to accidentally sever with anyone; Sukea can date who he wants.

He'll go on just one date, then, before finishing this mission for Tsunade and putting the Sukea disguise away for good.


End file.
